Team Sky's Edvald Boasson Hagen crashed out of stage 12 of the Tour de France with a broken right scapula, the team has confirmed to Cyclingnews. The Norwegian was involved in a pile up inside the final three kilometers of the stage, and although he managed to cross the finish line x-rays confirmed the injury.

"After the crash Edvald was taken to a local medical centre for x-rays which revealed he had a fracture of his right scapula (shoulder blade)," Sky team doctor Alan Farrell said. "Fortunately this doesn’t require surgery but Edvald will return home to Norway for further investigation and treatment and we look forward to seeing him racing again sometime over the summer."

The loss of Boasson Hagen leaves Team Sky with just seven riders in the race, with Chris Froome currently leading with a 3:25 margin over his nearest rival Alejanrdo Valverde (Team Movistar).

Team Principal Sir Dave Brailsford said, "It’s never nice to lose a rider of Edvald’s ability, but ultimately we’re still confident that with the riders we’ve got left we can pull together and see the race through.

"The plan doesn't change and we will do everything we can to support Chris [Froome]."